


My Best Friend

by LynyrdLionheart



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-28
Updated: 2016-05-23
Packaged: 2018-05-23 16:01:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6121864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LynyrdLionheart/pseuds/LynyrdLionheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It takes one injury for Marinette to have a revelation.  What is she supposed to do when the boy she trusts with her life is the same boy she can't even form a coherent sentence around?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. There could never be another

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ML fic... so of course it's a reveal fic. Because what else am I supposed to write as my first contribution to the fandom? Let me know what you think, but please be gentle.

It started with an injury.

               She had taken a gamble with her Lucky Charm, and Chat had ended up taking a blow from the akumatized human that would have prevented Marinette from finishing her attack.  The result was that they beat the bad guy (again), but Chat was left on the ground, wincing as he tried to push himself up.

               “Chat,” Marinette said, worry making her rush to his side.  A quick glance at the human formerly known as _The Boxer_ told her that the man would be fine, so she felt no guilt in focusing her attention on her partner.

               “My Lady,” Chat replied with a grin that became a wince and air let out through his teeth in a low hiss almost immediately after. 

               “Is it your ribs?” Marinette demanded, seeing the way he seemed to semi-cradle them with his arm.  “Did you crack one?”

               “Probably just a bruise,” Chat replied, but he didn’t argue when Marinette slung one of his arms around her shoulders and helped him to his feet.  Civilians were beginning to make their way back onto the streets now that the danger was over, and Marinnette surveyed their surroundings, looking for the best path of escape. 

               “Walk with me,” she ordered him, her gaze landing on an alley that would get them out of sight.  Her Marvelous gave a beep that was echoed by Chat’s, letting her know that time was of the essence.

               “I can get home, My Lady,” Chat promised as the managed to reach the alley.  “I know that you don’t want our identities to be known.”

               “You need a hospital,” Mari replied, her voice grim.  It hadn’t escaped her that he hadn’t made a single pun since the battle had ended.  Worse than that, his _My lady_ was half-heartedly flirtatious at best.  This was not the Chat Noir that she had been fighting alongside with for months, which meant he had to be seriously injured.

               “I can get a ride.  I promise, Ladybug.  I’ll just say I was collateral damage in the attack.  No one will be shocked.” Chat’s words sounded almost practiced as he gave the excuse, as though he had said the words a dozen times before.  Considering how many times Marinette had used an incredibly similar excuse, they probably _were_ practiced.

               “They’ll wonder why my Miraculous Ladybug didn’t heal it,” Marinette pointed out, and if she were completely honest, it was something she herself was wondering.  She always managed to fix the damage… well, this was Chat damaged.  Why hadn’t he been fixed?

               “You can’t fix everything, My Lady,” Chat replied with a chuckle, but another beep cut him off, and both of them looked down to see that their Marvelous would be running out at any moment.  He looked up at her, and his smirk took on a rueful twist.  “I’ve seen you face down some rather intimidating akumas, and never once have you looked this terrified.  _Go_ , Ladybug.  If I don’t take care of myself, I swear that I’ll let you punish me at our next meeting.”

               He waggled his eyebrows at her, and Marinette found herself laughing despite her better judgment.  His eyes didn’t look quite as strained, and Marinette found that she almost believed he would be okay.

               “I… shout really loud if you change your mind?” she asked.  “I promise, your health _is_ more important to me than secrecy.”

               “I never doubted it.  Now _go_.”

               Marinette rushed away and managed to make it around the corner and onto an empty street – everyone in the vicinity had gathered at the site of the attack – just before her Miraculous ran out, leaving just Marinette to lean her head against the wall of the building and look up at Tikki.

               “That was close,” she remarked to her kwami.  She gave the alley to her left a quick glance, but didn’t look down it.  “Do you think he’ll really be okay?”

               “Chat might be reckless, but he never struck me as self-destructive,” Tikki replied, letting her small body take cover in Marinette’s purse and curling up to fall asleep.  “If he truly believed he couldn’t make it home, he would have told you.”

               “You’re right,” Marinette agreed, but she still gave the alley another worried look before she rushed in the direction of the bakery.

               It made her feel horrible, to have left her injured partner behind.

               That’s how it started with an injury, and Marinette going home filled with worried, but not at all expecting that the entire axis of her world would soon change.

\---

               “It’s rather bad bruising, but given a day or two of rest you should be back on your feet and capable of light exercise.  And _do_ keep it to light exercise for at least a week, young man.”

               Adrien gave the doctor a grateful smile, while Gabriel Agreste frowned from the screen of Nathalie’s iPad.  His expression was severe, and told Adrien that he was not currently in the good graces of his father.

               Fitting – it seemed like the only time Gabriel paid any attention to his son was when his disapproved of Adrien’s actions.

               “You’re luck you weren’t more severely hurt,” Gabriel commented once the doctor had left and Adrien began to pull his shirt back on.  “What were you doing in that area anyway?”

               “Study group,” Adrien replied, the lie falling easily from his lips.  At the start, he’d felt some guilt for lying to his father.  But when Gabriel had accepted the lies so easily, never once giving even a half-hearted attempt to corroborate, the guilt had quickly diminished until it wasn’t existent.

               As long as Adrien was able to show up when Gabriel deemed his presence necessary, the teen’s activities were of no concern.  So Adrien would enjoy those moments of freedom as Chat Noir.

               And he would be more careful, but there was no way that he was going to be put on the super hero bench for a week.  He’d be a bit more careful, since he highly doubted that “saving the city from akumatized humans” counted as _light_ exercise by anyone’s standards, but he wouldn’t stay locked up in the manor.  He refused to.

               “Perhaps we should reconsider this public school decision,” Gabriel mused, his brows furrowed.  “You never would have gotten injured otherwise, and now Nathalie will have to reschedule four different photoshoots.”

               “You promised,” Adrien shot back, the words coming out before he had time to give them any thought.  His teeth clicked together as he shut his mouth, but the way his father raised his brows told  Adrien that he was committed to this, so he might as well finish it.  “As long as I played my role, I could go to public school.  Remember?”

               “Yes,” Gabriel replied coolly.  “As long as you _played your role_.  You cannot do that, however, with bruised ribs.”

               “On accident isn’t a pattern, father.  I promise to be more careful in the future.”

               They were the words of the dutiful son that Adrien was expected to be.  Gabriel surveyed him closely for several minutes, and Adrien kept his expression as meek as possible, though the anger that had pushed him to even _think_ about arguing with his father was still a ball in his stomach.

               Thankfully, it must not have shown on his face, because Gabriel finally gave a sharp nod.

               “Fine.  This once I’ll over look.  Give your pain medication prescription to Nathalie and get it filled on your way home.  I’m currently in Milan, but keep me updated as to your state of being.”

               The screen went black, and Adrien just barely refrained from giving a sigh of relief.  He gave Nathalie a weak smile as he handed over the prescription, getting just a brief nod in return.

               But as they walked out of the hospital, Adrien couldn’t help the small swell of victory that rose within him.  Perhaps he’d had to backpedal somewhat to cater to egos… _but Adrien had argued against his father and_ won _._

               That had never happened before.

\---

               Of the two of them, it was always Chat Noir that had been the one curious about identities.  Marinette had never wanted the “big reveal” to ever happen.  Maybe it was because she was afraid of what his reaction to “just Marinette” would be.  Or maybe she was afraid that keeping her partner at arms-length would be more difficult if she knew who he was outside Chat.

               But they “whys” didn’t matter.  Marinette had never wanted _The Big Reveal_ , and that was that.

               So, when Adrien came into class with Nino hovering at his side like a worried mother hen, she never even _thought_ to be suspicious.  Oh, she was worried – this was _Adrien_. She had all but named their future children; the fact that he was injured made her feel nothing but worry.

               She wanted to ask what had happened, but instead she felt red faced and embarrassed, and she would be eternally thankful to whatever divine intervention had decided to give her Alya as a best friend.  One look at Marinette’s face had the redhead leaning forward to grin at Adrien in a way Mari just never _could_.

               “What happened to you?” she asked, leaning her weight on an arm.

               “My man went and cracked his ribs,” Nino replied, his expression utterly unimpressed.  “And _now_ he won’t tell me how he did it.”

               “I did!” Adrien argued.  “I told you, I was caught in that Akuma attack!”

               “Why were you even _near_ that Akuma attack, man?  Didn’t you have a photoshoot scheduled at the opposite end of the city?”

               “It got cancelled.”

               Mari bit her lip, and not for the first time wished that she could find her words around her crush.  There was a shadow in his eyes, dark and pained, and even though he grinned at Nino, there was a tightness around his eyes that belied pain.  She wanted it to tell him it was okay to hurt, and it was okay to tell them the truth about his injury.

               Then he said it.

               “I was collateral damage in the attack.  It happens.”

               Marinette went utterly still at the words.  It wasn’t that they were uncommon or unheard; Adrien was entirely right, that there always seemed to be inadvertent damage after an Akuma attack, and though the Miraculous Ladybug tended to get rid of most of those damages, it didn’t always fix _everything_. 

               But Adrien’s _tone_ … it was almost practiced.  The cadence saying he had practiced and said those words several times, and the tone, the _voice_ , was so incredibly familiar.

               Chat had said those exact same words to her, in that exact same tone and voice, just days prior.

               Alya had once photo-shopped Adrien into Chat’s outfit and claimed it was possible, and Marinette had waved the theory away as completely unbelievable.  Adrien was… Adrien was _sweet_.  Oh, Chat was sweet as well, but he was also cocky and flirtatious and more than just a little reckless.  Nothing at all like sweet, quiet, reliable Adrien who was always perfectly put together, who had made Marinette’s heart sing from the very first _hello_ , and made her want to know him since she realized that those quiet green eyes of his held such immense _sadness_.

               There had been glimpses of sadness in Chat once, but they had quickly been replaced with happiness.  Chat was always filled with a loud, vibrant _joy_ , but maybe that was the point.  After all, as Ladybug Marinette could be confident.  She could be brave and let her thoughts be heard in ways she never could as Marinette Dupain-Cheng.  So why had she assumed that Chat Noir would still be… well, Chat Noir in his daily life?

               She stared at Adrien, and felt as though she couldn’t _breathe_.

               “Marinette?” he looked up at her, concern in his eyes despite his own pain.  “Are you okay?”

               Worried about _her_ , even though he was the one that was hurt.  Just like Chat had been so worried about Ladybug’s wishes, even when he was injured.

               “I…” she swallowed, her mouth incredibly dry.

               “She’s just tired!” Alya intervened in that carefree way she had, wrapping an arm around Mari’s shoulder.  From the corner of her mouth, she gave a murmur only her friend could hear.  “ _Girl_ , what are you _doing_?”

               _I think I’m having a panic attack_ , Marinette thought weakly, though she couldn’t say the words out loud, of course.  Alya would want to know the cause, and Marinette could hardly say, _I just realized that my crush is probably the same boy alternately turn down and trust with my life daily, and I’m not quite sure how to deal with that._

The bell rang, and Marinette thought that maybe, just once, her luck as Ladybug had carried over into her civilian life.

               Then she looked at the back of Adrien’s head, and tried to imagine his locks arranged in Chat Noir’s messier, more carefree style.

               It proved all too easy to see, and Marinette gripped her desk and just barely refrained from banging her head onto its surface.

\---

               “I don’t understand why this is such a problem,” Tikki pointed out with far more logic than Marinette was capable of.  “You’ve had a crush on Adrien since you met him.  Isn’t this good?  It means he likes you too!”

               “No he doesn’t,” Marinette replied with grumble, sitting in her chair and bracing her feet on her desk.  Tikki floated above her and looked down, a puzzled expression on her tiny face.  “He likes _Ladybug_ , Tikki.  Outside the costume, I’m not… when I’m Ladybug, I’m so much _more_.  I’m brave and strong and smart.  Once the costume is gone, I’m just Marinette.”

               “The costume doesn’t change your heart, Marinette,” Tikki retorted.  “Ladybug or Marinette, that remains the same.  And _that_ is what Chat Noir… _Adrien_ fell in love with.”

               It was a nice thought Marinette thought ruefully.  But it wasn’t exactly realistic, was it?  Maybe her heart _was_ the same… but Ladybug didn’t have any issues with talking to Chat Noir, or giving him commands to win the day.  But Marinette…

               Marinette couldn’t even say two words to Adrien without losing her nerve.

               “What am I going to do?” she asked Tikki with wide eyes, panic suddenly washing over her as she let her feet fall to the floor.  “Oh no…nonononono… what am I going to _do_?!”

               She wasn’t speaking to Tikki anymore, but to any deity or force that might be listening.  She got to her feet, and clutched at her hair as she paced back and forth across the floor.

               “Why are you panicking?” Tikki didn’t often get exasperated, but the tone in her voice at the moment said she was close.

               “ _Adrien is Chat Noir_ ,” Marinette hissed out, turning on her heel to stare at her Kwami.  “ _Adrien_ is _Chat Noir_.  _Chat Noir_ , who is Ladybug’s _partner_.  I’m Ladybug, Tikki.”

               The Kwami continued to stare uncomprehendingly and Marinette let out a huff of exasperation and began to pace again.

               “I can’t talk to Adrien, Tikki.  I _suck_ at talking to Adrien.  I try, and I lose my words.  How am I supposed to be his partner, when I can’t even _talk_ to him?”

               “You _do_ talk to him, Marinette,” Tikki replied, floating up to nuzzle against her neck.  “You and Chat Noir, you’ve been able to work together almost since day one.  It doesn’t matter who he is outside the mask… he is _still_ your partner.”

               That was easy for Tikki to say.  She wasn’t a fifteen year old who had just realized her crush was the boy she ran across rooftops with on a regular basis.  Part of her wanted to curl up in her bed and forget about everything, but despite her fear of seeing Chat Noir with her new knowledge, Marinette didn’t have it in her to let her partner down.  So she put the spots on and hit the rooftops for patrol, and internally, she hoped that a surprise photoshoot would keep Chat Noir – _Adrien_ – busy.

               Of course, the one time she was counting on her Ladybug luck, it would fail her.

               “Ah, milady.  Fancy seeing you here.”

               She spun on the rooftop where she had stopped to rest, and she found herself simply staring at Chat.  He gave her that grin, the one that was simply _Chat_ , and his green eyes sparkled, and Marinette searched for Adrien in his face.

               It was there – oh so painfully obvious, now that she wasn’t so focused on the reasons why Adrien and her partner _couldn’t_ be the same person.  Yet, despite that, despite knowing Chat was also Adrien…

               “It’s a purrrfect evening, isn’t it?”

               “Your puns are horrible,” Marinette replied, before she could think twice.  But it was just so natural, to roll her eyes and nudge him with her elbow.  And she paused for a moment, a flush rising in her cheeks, because part of her remembered this was _Adrien_ , but…

               “You’re just upset, because you lack my clawesome sense of humor.”

               He was still _Chat_ , and God, but that one was bad, even for _him_. 

               “I think your injury is affecting your usual puniness,” Marinette deadpanned, and after a moment, Chat began to laugh.  She never heard him laugh like that as Adrien, and Marinette felt a warmth begin to wash through her at that realization.  Like her, Adrien was different as Chat… he was _free_ in a way that Adrien wasn’t.  He was _happy._

And that, in part… was because of her.

               “Are you sure you should be out tonight?” she asked him when she saw him wince through his chuckles.

               “Probably not,” he admitted sheepishly.  “But I was going to go absolutely _buggy_ locked up to heal.”

               Marinette let out a small chuckle at his words and rolled her eyes, grasping his arm and turning him back the way he had come.

               “I need my partner on his A-game, Kitty Cat.  Do whatever your doctor told you.”

               “But that means a whole weak on the second string,” Chat whined, digging in his heels and pouting at her. 

               It made Marinette think of the giant house he lived in, just him and his father, who was far too cold.  She couldn’t blame him for not wanting to be there.  She thought of her own home, and her parents, and the warmth that always infused the small space – not because it was above a bakery, but because there was so much _love_.

               She smiled at Chat and reached out to brush some of his blonde hair out of his eyes.  He blinked at her in surprise, and it made Marinette realize she maybe hadn’t been entirely fair to her partner.  It wasn’t fair, that it took her learning his identity for her to truly _see_ him… not as Adrien, but as her _partner_.

               And it didn’t matter who he was outside the mask, she was pretty lucky to have him.

               “If you go home tonight and behave yourself, you can come out for half an hour for the rest of the week, and I’ll even spend the time with you, right here.”

               “Are you okay, milady?” Chat asked, blinking at her. 

               “I’m fine… I’m just… you’re really important to me.  I hope you know that.  Without you, there would be no me.  So I need you to take care of yourself, okay?”

               He smiled down at her, and for a moment it wasn’t Chat she saw, but Adrien – with the kind smile and the kind eyes, and she felt herself flush.  It would still take some work, this realization, but when she let him kiss her on the cheek, and then watched as he retreated with a happy whoop, she realized Tikki had been right.

               It didn’t matter who he was outside the mask, he was _still_ Chat Noir.  And she wouldn’t let the awkward girl behind the mask change that.

               “Are you going to tell him who you are?” Tikki asked her when they returned to the bakery.  Marinette considered it.  She knew she probably should – it was only fair, of course.

               But she bit her lip.

               “I want to try something first,” she finally said.

               “What?” Tikki asked curiously.

               Marinette walked to her computer, and the photos she had attached to the wall.  One by one, she took them down, placing them in a neat pile next to her keyboard.  Finally, she held the last one in her hands and looked up at her Kwami.

               “As Chat, he’s my partner,” she explained.  “Now… now I’m going to get to know _Adrien_.”

               After all, she had shown that she could talk to him when she was Ladybug and he was Chat… and she had been able to talk to Chat as Marinette as well.

               So she would channel Ladybug, and talk to  _Adrien_ as _Marinette_.


	2. Life with you makes perfect sense

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The response to this story has been AMAZING! Thanks for the kudos and the comments, and please enjoy part 2!

Marinette had been pacing outside the school, frantically muttering to herself, for fifteen minutes when Alya arrived.

               “It’s early,” the redhead commented.

               “I have ten minutes before Adrien’s usual arrival time” – the few times Marinette had arrived at school first, she had been sure to note the time, and it was always ten minutes before class started – “I had a plan.  But I can’t remember it.”

               “You’re missing my point, Marinette.  It’s early… what are _you_ doing here?”

               The incredulous tone of Alya’s voice had Marinette stopping so she could frown at her friend.

               “I am not _always_ late,” she informed the other girl.  “Just every now and then.  I’m on time more often than I’m late!”

               “Yeah, you’re _on time_ , Marinette.  Not twenty minutes early.”

               _Thirty-five_ , Marinette thought, a flush rising in her cheeks.  Thinking of the time reminded her of the _reason_ she was so early, and that had her pacing again.

               “I can’t do this,” she said at last, stopping and facing Alya.  “I thought I could.  When I woke up this morning, I was so _sure_ I could.  But I can’t.”

               When she was Ladybug and Adrien was Chat, it was just so… _easy_.  It was easy to forget he was the boy she had a crush on, and to get caught up in being with the partner she trusted at her back every time.  But this would be _different_.

               This wouldn’t be Paris’ superhero team… it would be Marinette and Adrien, and she had no idea how to deal with that.

               “Okay, I could pretend to know what you’re talking about, and tell you that you can do it – and I’d mean it.  But I’m getting a sense that you need more than just the _I believe in Marinette_ speech.” Alya grasped her by the wrist and tugged her to the bench, sitting her down before taking the seat next to her.  “So spill, girl.  What has you all tied up?”

               “Adrien!” Marinette replied, getting to her feet to pace again.  Alya just rolled her eyes and reached out, tugging her back onto the bench.  “Isn’t it _always_ Adrien?”

               “What _about_ Adrien?” Alya asked, showing that she truly was the most patient girl in the world.

               “I can’t talk to him. But I want to.  And I had convinced myself this morning that I _could_ … but I just… why do I have to be such an embarrassing disaster around him, Alya?” Marinette finished by burying her face in her hands, and Alya reached out to pat her on the back sympathetically.

               “Okay, so you talk to him tomorrow.”

               Other students began to arrive, and Marinette looked up, her chin in hands, and watched as the others began to form into groups.  Then Adrien arrived and was greeted my Nino, and then basically attacked by Chloe.  Normally, the sight would have made Marinette feel nothing but envy, because Chloe was always so _easy_ with Adrien.  But instead, she was reminded of the way Chat acted around the blonde.  When he was free to show his true feelings, it was clear that Adrien wasn’t exactly fond of Chloe.

               _It’s just Chat._

Marinette got to her feet, and Alya looked at her startled as she made sure her clothes were straight.

               “Mari?”

               “I’m going to go and say hi,” Marinette said at last, smoothing a hand over her hair.  She could handle a simple _hi_. 

               _It’s only Chat._

That was her mantra, repeated over and over – _onlyChatonlyChatonlyChat_ – as she made her way across the courtyard.  Her palms got increasingly sweaty, and her mouth felt dry, but Marinette determinedly pushed one.  Starting had to be the hardest part, really.

               Nino was the first one to see her, and his expression went from exasperation at Chloe to a wide grin.

               “Hey Marinette!”

               “Hi, Nino,” Marinette replied, and she could have hugged the boy, for making this easier, by offering her a starter greeting, on that put her at ease.

               “Oh, it’s you,” Chloe sneered, her arms still around Adrien’s neck.  He took advantage of her moment of distraction to tug her arms away from him, and taking pity on him, Marinette decided to play along.

               “Good morning, Chloe,” she replied, giving Adrien the time he needed to move to Nino’s other side.  He turned his smile on her – so bright and friendly, and it made his incredible green eyes crinkle at the corners.

               She loved that smile, even as she hated the effect it had on her.  She knew she was staring, but the words that she’d planned wouldn’t come, not in the face of that smile.

               “Hi, Marinette,” Adrien greeted, his hand rubbing the back of his neck.      

               _It’s just Chat Noir. He’s your partner.  Your friend.  You have done this a hundred times._

“H-hi, Adrien,” Marinette replied, and though she could feel a blush on her cheeks, she had managed to get the words out with minimal stuttering.  If she could do that… then she could finish it.  “I-” she cleared her throat awkwardly and began again – “A-are you feeling any better today?”

               For a second Adrien looked confused, but when Marinette’s gaze darted to his ribs, realization lit his eyes.

               “Oh, my ribs.  They’re still a bit sore, but the doctor thinks they’re not as bad as he thought at first.  As long as I take my meds and take it easy for a few days, I should be just fine by next week.”

               “That’s g-good,” Marinette replied, beaming at him.  “I’m glad.”

               Adrien smiled back and they stood like that for probably longer than they should have, and Marinette knew she was probably being awkward again, but… _she had spoken to him_!

               “You did it, girl,” Alya said, joining her to pat her shoulder, when Adrien and Nino left to join Max and Kim, and Chloe stomped off to find Sabrina.  “That was almost a full conversation.”

               “Yeah!” Marinette replied brightly, but then her smile began to fade.

               Because yes, it had been progress… but it had also been too hard.

               Adrien was Chat Noir – _her_ Chat Noir.  It shouldn’t be so hard to talk to Chat Noir, mask or no mask.

               Yet it had been.  Embarrassingly so.

               _Where was Ladybug’s confidence when she needed it?_

Marinette blinked as an idea hit her.  If she couldn’t have the confidence she needed to talk to Adrien as _Marinette_ … then maybe she need to not _be_ Marinette the next time she spoke to him.

               “What’s got you smiling like that?” Alya asked, a furrow in her brow, but Marinette just grinned at her friend and tugged on her hand, leading her toward the class.

               “Nothing.  Just thinking that it’s a really nice day today.”

               “Mari, I love you… but you’re sometimes so weird.”

               Marinette’s response was another grin.

\---

               “This isn’t what the Miraculous is for.”

               Tikki floated in front of her, her expression and exercise in disapproval, and Marinette glanced down sheepishly, shifting her feet.

               “I know, Tikki… but I just… I need the confidence of Ladybug.  Just this once?”

               She looked up with what she hoped was a passable puppy dog look.  Tikki continued to look severe, before she finally slumped and let out a breath.

               “Just this once.  Remember Adrien’s birthday party – using the Miraculous for your own needs too often won’t end well.”

               “I promise, Tikki!” Marinette drew and ‘x’ over her heart to seal the promise, and Tikki giggled, nuzzling against Marinette’s cheek.  “Okay, Tikki!  Spots on!”

               Minutes later, Marinette was leaping from her roof and swinging through the streets of Paris towards the park.  She had heard him tell Nino, that the doctor had told him he could do that day’s photoshoot, as long as he didn’t overwork himself.

               She reached the park and found a spot to perch on the statue of her and Chat Noir.  She grinned as she looked down at the reminder of their partnership, and settled in to watch Adrien’s photoshoot.  She had never really noticed before, but his eyes didn’t crinkle when he smiled for the camera, not like they did at school, when he smiled at her or Nino or their classmates. 

_Not like they did when he flirted with her as Chat Noir._

               Her breath caught in her throat at the thought.  Because this boy – this beautiful, _kind_ boy – was the same boy that called her m’lady.  The same boy that had tried to kiss her more than once.

               _The same boy she had once kissed._

Marinette’s fingers came to her lips at the memory, and she knew she was blushing at the memory of pressing her lips to her partner’s. 

               Carefree, reckless Chat Noir and kind, quiet Adrien… but when she compared the smile he wore now, to the smile he wore at school, and thought of Chat’s smile, it made her wonder how she could have missed it.  She, who had spent _hours_ memorizing Adrien’s every expression.  Now, she could remember dozens of times when Adrien had worn those same expressions.  He might be more outgoing as Chat, but it was all too obvious to her now that they were the same boy.

               She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t realize that Adrien was on break.  Not until she heard a throat clearing and she looked down, startled, into brilliant green eyes that were crinkling at the corners.

               “Uh… Ladybug?” he asked, and then a flush rose in his cheeks – possibly the most adorable sight Marinette had ever seen – and he rubbed the back of his neck and glanced down.  “I mean, of course you’re Ladybug.  I just… I didn’t expect to see you here.  N-not that you’re not a-allowed to be here.  Because you’re Ladybug; you’re allowed everywhere.  And I’m Adrien Agreste?”

               He finished looking up at her with a smile, that smile that crinkled at his eyes, but there was a bit of uncertainty in that gaze that hit her right in the heart.

               Because Adrien was _Chat Noir_ … and Chat had never hid the crush he had on Ladybug.  He had always been confident in himself though – all too willing to flirt.  Yet here was Adrien, who of course had that same crush… and God, but he was kind of adorable when he stuttered?

               _Adrien acted the same away around Ladybug, that Marinette did around Adrien._

And maybe it was that fact, that made the nerves that had followed her since she arrived in the park just a little bit easier to handle.  Oh, she knew she was still blushing.  But when she spoke, her tongue didn’t feel too big for her mouth.

               She felt like a girl, talking to a cute boy.

               “I know who you are, Adrien.”

               “Y-you do?” he replied, and his expression was so delightfully pleased that Marinette couldn’t help but smile at him.

               “I… it’s hard to m-miss,” Marinette replied, stumbling over the final word because his smile had become confusion when she had stared at him just a beat too long.  But he was just so… so… _Adrien_. To hide her embarrassment, she nodded to where one of his billboards was visible a street over.

               “Oh,” Adrien looked in the same direction, and his face fell, which made Marinette bite her lip and wonder if pointing the ad out was a mistake.  “Yeah.  I guess that the face of Adrien Agreste is pretty familiar, isn’t it?”

               “It’s not just your ads,” Marinette blurted out, because she _hated_ that she had put that look on his face; that he thought the only reason Ladybug knew who he was, was because his face was plastered all over the city.  Adrien looked at her in surprise, a question in his eyes, and Marinette bit her lip, realizing that she needed to explain that.

               It was on her tongue to say something about an interview, or a mutual friend… but she looked into his eyes, and yes, he was Adrien.

               He was also _Chat_ … and lying to Chat just…

               It wasn’t okay.

               “We go to school together,” she admitted, and surprise lit his eyes, before it turned thoughtful, and she knew that he was trying to figure out who she could be; going over all the girls he knew at school.  She chuckled and leapt down from her perch to land on the ground next to him.  “I wouldn’t wrack your brain too hard.  I’m… different.  When I’m not Ladybug, I’m different. You would probably be disappointed.”

               Marinette’s biggest fear, made even worse now that she knew that Chat Noir and Adrien were one in the same.  That he would learn who she was, and feel let down.  Because Marinette was awkward and embarrassing half the time – not at all what one would expect of Paris’ heroine.

               “I couldn’t imagine you being anything other than amazing,” Adrien said earnestly, and Marinette glanced down, a flush on her cheeks.

               She wasn’t sure what to say, to fill the silence that spanned them, and was just about ready to give up even on this attempt at communication – maybe they would have to stay just Ladybug and Chat Noir forever, because talking to him as the hero… that she could do.

               As Adrien?  It was different.

               Then she heard a shriek.  Adrien tensed and they both turned to see an Akuma on the rampage.  Adrien clenched his fingers into a fist, and she saw how his arm curled around his ribs protectively while frustration lit his eyes.

               He wasn’t quite ready to be Chat, not if he wanted to heal right.

               The Akuma continued it rampage toward them, and Marinette leapt into action, grabbing Adrien and swinging them both out of the line of fire, to the safety of a fire escape on an apartment building.

               “It will be safe for you here,” she told him, turning around to go back to fight.

               “Ladybug” – she froze when his fingers clenched her wrist.  She looked back, her gaze shooting down to where their skin had come in contact, and it felt as though there were fire at the point of contact.  Adrien blushed and released his grip.  He rubbed the back of his neck and avoided her gaze – “I just… be careful, okay?”

               Marinette had never wanted to be the one to have the big reveal, but now that she knew who Chat Noir was?  She realized that she wanted him to know who she was to.

               But she wanted _him_ to figure it out.

               At least, that’s how she explained it later.  In the moment, it was just an act of recklessness.

               “You stay safe, Kitty Cat.  I’m gonna need my partner back soon.”

               She just had time to see Adrien’s look of shock before she swung away, gone to take out the Akuma.

\---

               She had promised Chat Noir a half hour every day, and since her first transformation had ended with an Akuma attack, Tikki had agreed that this second one wouldn’t count as personal time.

               Her Kwami was the best.

               Chat Noir was waiting for her when she arrived, and Marinette couldn’t really be surprised by that, not with how she had left him on the fire escape.

               “You know who I am,” he said the second she arrived.

               “I do,” she acknowledged.  She walked to edge of the roof and took a seat, letting her legs dangle.  Chat joined her after a beat of silence.

               “How?” he asked after another moment of silence.

               “I told you, I go to your school,” she replied, resting her chin in her hands, her elbows on her knees.  “I overheard you give your excuse for your injury – collateral damage, right?”

               Yet more silence followed her explanation.

               “Are you going to tell me who you are?” Chat finally asked.  “You know… fair play and all.”

               Marinette considered that.  It would be fair, she supposed.  But…

               “I wasn’t lying, when I said that you would probably be disappointed, Chat.”

               “And I wasn’t lying when I said you couldn’t be anything other than amazing.”        

               She straightened and turned her head to meet his gaze.  His eyes were crinkling in that way they did when he smiled at her, and her lips curved in answer.

               “What if I want you to figure it out?” she asked.  “I don’t want you to like _me_ because I’m Ladybug, Chat.  I want… I want you to like me and _then_ know I’m Ladybug… this is making no sense, is it?”

               “It does, actually,” Chat admitted.  “I worried, too, you know.  That Adrien Agreste would be too boring. You know that I’m not… when I’m not Chat, I’m not exactly outgoing.”

               “You’re kind,” Marinette blurted quickly.  Chat blinked at her, and Marinette figured she had already started, so she might as well finish it.  “You’re kind to everyone.  Even when they don’t deserve it.  I… I like who Adrien is.”

               “And I’ll like who you are without the mask, too,” Chat replied, pure confidence in his voice.

               “What if I still want you to figure it out?” Marinette felt small as she hunched her shoulders, but Chat just grinned and nudged her shoulder with his.

               “I’d ask for a hint,” Chat replied with an easy shrug.  “And then I’d find you.  I have specatular sleuthing abilities.”

               Marinette chuckled and rolled her eyes, climbing to her feet again.  She held a hand out to Chat, who accepted it and let her help him to his feet.

               “You really need to stop it with the puns, Kitty,” she informed him.  “They’re horrible.”

               “Please.  My puniness is unmatched.”

               It was that smile that did it.  Because it was the perfect combination of her partner and the boy she loved, and it made Marinette’s heart feel so incredibly _full_.  So she rested a hand on his shoulder and leaned in, pressing her lips to his cheek.

               “M’lady?” he asked, looking startled but pleased as Marinette pulled back.  She was blushing too, and she licked her lips with a tongue that felt too dry. 

               “For luck,” she replied, avoiding looking in his eyes.  “I’m still pretty sure you’ll look right through me.”

               Because she wasn’t looking at him, she was surprised when he pressed his own kiss to her forehead, her eyes widening in surprise as his hands cupped her cheeks while his lips – soft and warm and dry – pressed to her skin.

               “Don’t underestimate me, m’lady.  I can be incredibly purrceptive when I want to.”

               She was so surprised by the kiss that she didn’t even scoff at the pun, and Chat gave a laugh before he left away.

               It might have been the first time, Marinette realized, that Chat Noir had left Ladybug speechless.  She touched her forehead, where she could still feel the imprint of his lips.

               _I really hope you figure it out_ , she thought, watching his dark form disappear.  _I really hope you’re not disappointed._

It wasn’t until she got back to the bakery, that she realized Chat had forgotten to ask for his hint.

 


	3. You're my best friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! I've finally finished it after a long, long time away from it. This chapter is from Adrien's pov, and pretty much pure fluff. I hope you like it!

He had forgotten to ask for the hint.

               But it didn’t matter.

               Adrien stood outside of the school, staring up at the building.  It was so familiar, but somehow, today it seemed filled with so much more promise.  He had arrived early, convincing Nathalie that he needed to work on an assignment in the library.  It had been a white lie, and Adrien felt a bit guilty about it… but he needed to be here for the arrival of his classmates.

               He knew his Lady.  He had spent hours almost daily fighting at her side.  He knew her voice, how she moved… he _knew_ her.

               “Why are we here early?” Plagg complained, floating out from Adrien’s jacket.  “Don’t we spend enough time at this place?”

               “I need to watch for Ladybug,” Adrien replied, finding a seat perched on a bench and watching as Juleka and Rose walked into the courtyard.  Plagg zoomed back beneath the jacket, but didn’t retreat entirely back into the pocket he had made his own.

               “You’ve been in her class for months now, and you think you’ll suddenly recognize her?” Plagg replied dryly.  “I doubt that.  Even without the glamour, you’d be surprised what a mask can do.”    

               “The glamour?” Adrien blinked down at Plagg in confusion, and the Kwami yawned and settled back into his pocket.  Adrien sighed and rolled his eyes, lifting a finger to poke at the creature.  “Plagg, care to explain?”

               “It’s magic, Adrien,” Plagg retorted, his voice disgruntled and muffled by the jacket.  “Your face is plastered everywhere, do you really think that no one has connected Chat Noir and Adrien Agreste is pure coincidence?  It doesn’t work as well on other Miraculous holders, but it’s still there… unless a certain cat’s carelessness gives him away of course.”

               Adrien muttered a low oath and contemplated the courtyard.  Kim and Max had arrived now and appeared to be arguing with Ivan, while Mylene held his hand and watched in contentment.  He remembered Ladybug’s comment, way back when Ivan had been their first Akuma – _they’re made for each other_.

               At the time, he had been so awed by his Lady that he had hardly paid any mind to their classmates after they had been saved, but now he found that he agreed.  Despite their myriad of differences, Mylene and Ivan _fit_.

               Adrien wanted that.  He wanted to _fit_ with someone.

               He wanted to fit with Ladybug.

               “I can’t let a glamour fool me,” Adrien murmured low.  There was a movement in his jacket and he looked down to see Plagg peeking up at him.

               “She wants you to find her,” the Kwami pointed out.  “Perhaps she’ll have a moment of carelessness herself.”

               It was one of Plagg’s rare moments where he was actually helpful, and Adrien felt a grin curve his lips, hope fluttering in his chest.

               “Yeah,” he agreed, looking back across the courtyard.  “Yeah, you’re right.”

               He watched his classmates arrive, eyeing each one contemplatively.  He grinned when he saw Alya arrive, Marinette at her side.  Nino was with them, talking about something with enthusiastic hand movements.  Adrien’s grin faded when he saw Marinette give Nino a wide smile and say something that had the other boy laughing.

               “Do you think she’ll ever be like that with me?”

               Plagg peeked out once more and saw where Adrien was looking before giving a sigh and rolling his eyes.

               “Aren’t you supposed to be looking for Ladybug?  I thought that would trump even your odd obsession with being friends with Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

               “It’s not an obsession!” Adrien argued, eyes darting around his classmates again, before landing once more on Marinette.  And okay, so maybe it was odd, how much he wanted the dark haired girl to like him, but it was just…

               She wasn’t comfortable around him, not since that first day, when she told him off because she though he was pranking her.  That day, she had been… _amazing_.  And she still was.  Adrien admired her talent with design, and the way she could stand in front of her classmates and not just make them believe in her, but also believe in themselves. 

               She was so confident with everyone… except Adrien.

               He couldn’t tell if it was because her false assumptions on their first meeting made her uncomfortable, or if it was just because she didn’t like him.  But either way… he wished it was different.

               Marinette suddenly looked in his direction, as though she could feel his gaze on her, and for a moment they both froze as their eyes made contact.  Hers were incredibly, Adrien realized.  Even across the school courtyard, the color was unmistakeable.  The only other person he knew with eyes that blue was –

               Marinette’s gaze darted away from him, red creeping onto her cheeks, and Adrien felt a ball of disappointment begin to form in his stomach.  She had talked to him the other day, and he had thought that maybe they would make progress, become _real_ friends, but if she was back to not looking at him…

               She looked up once more, meeting his gaze directly, and a smile curved her lips, one that left Adrien helpless to do anything but smile back.  She lifted her hand in a wave.  The action caught Nino’s attention, and then he was dragging both Marinette and Alya with him to Adrien’s bench.

               “Hey, man, how long have you been over here?” he asked, plopping onto the surface next to Adrien.  “You should have come and joined us.”

               “I was just lost in my thoughts,” Adrien replied, because the truth – _I was trying to figure out which of our classmates was Ladybug_ – was hardly something he could admit.  “Hi Alya… Hi, Marinette.”

               Alya returned his greeting easily, but it was Marinette on whom Adrien’s attention was focused.  She gave a quiet hi in return, her cheeks flushed, her shoes scuffing the ground. 

               “I-it’s a nice morning,” she added after a moment, and Adrien felt his earlier mood lighten as he realized that Marinette was really making an attempt here, to talk to him.  “I can’t w-wait for school to be done” – her eyes widened suddenly, as though she were panicked – “I mean, not that I don’t like s-spending time with all of you, but it’s just – it’s so nice and…”

               “Easy there, Girl,” Alya said with a laugh, looping an arm around Marinette’s shoulders and tugging her in close.  “We get it, it’s nice and you’d rather be off somewhere letting the day inspire your designs and stuff.”

               “I like to design outside,” Marinette offered to Adrien, when his expression must have looked puzzled.  It was possibly the most words she had ever spoken to him without stuttering, and Adrien couldn’t even be disappointed that he’d lost time in his quest for Ladybug, not if it meant progress like this. 

               “I don’t blame you.  Paris must be great for inspiration.” The bell rang, and the four teens began to head for their first class, Marinette and Alya in the lead while Adrien and Nino fell in behind them.  Adrien contemplated the back of Marinette’s head, and then blinked in surprise.  “Hey, Marinette… are you a Ladybug fan?”

               Marinette stiffened and stumbled over her feet.  Alya laughed, grabbing her arm to keep her upright.

               “Easy, Mari.  And isn’t everyone a fan of Ladybug’s?”

               Marinette’s gaze on Adrien was searching, as though she were trying to figure something out. 

               “She and Chat are Paris’ heroes,” she finally said slowly.  “Why?”

               “I just… you wear your hair like she does.  I’d never noticed before.  I was wondering if it was because you’re a fan.”

               Marinette’s hand darted up to her hair, fingering the dark strands, and when she looked at Adrien, there was amusement dancing in her blue eyes.  For a second, Adrien’s breath caught at that expression, and he found he couldn’t look away.

               “Pigtails are a very versatile hairstyle,” she responded at last.  “I was wearing them before Ladybug even arrived.”

               Adrien watched her go, her head ducked in as Alya spoke to her excitedly, the hand that wasn’t looped through Marinette’s arm gesturing with excitement.

               “Hey, Adrien, are you okay?” Nino asked, stepping up next to Adrien, who watched the girls with a furrowed brow.

               “I’m… yeah.  I’m good,” Adrien replied, and it was true, really.  There wasn’t anything _wrong_.  It’s just, for a second there, Marinette had shown him the confidence he so rarely got to see, but there had been something else.  A spark that made Adrien think of –

               But no, it couldn’t be.  Except…

               _It would make far too much sense._

\---

               Adrien spent the next classes leading up to lunch wishing that he and Marinette could swap seats.  He knew she was back there; was more aware of it than he had ever been.  His mouth felt full of the words he couldn’t just blurt out.

               _Are you Ladybug?_

If she was… well, he could hardly blow her secret identity in front of the entire class, could he?  And if she wasn’t – well, not only would it be awkward for them both, but it would inevitably lead to the question of _why_ Adrien was so interested in the superheroine’s identity.

               Neither option was attractive.

               The bell rang, and Adrien fought back a wince when he realized that he had no clue what they had been taught in the last three periods.  Glancing down, he could at least take comfort in knowing that he had the right notebook out.  But rather than notes about Geometry, he had been making absentminded doodles of ladybugs in the margins of the page.  Like some lovesick teenager, which he was, of course.

               But it was still embarrassing.

               Nino had turned to talk to him about something, but Marinette had begun to walk by him, and Adrien didn’t think.  Instead, he just got to his feet so he could walk at her side.  His sudden appearance, made Marinette give out an _eep_ and nearly trip on the last step before looking at him with wide-eyed panic.

               “So… Ladybug stole your hairstyle then?” Adrien asked into the awkward silence, rubbing a hand over his neck and grinning at Marinette sheepishly.  For a moment, her panic morphed into confusion, and then she chuckled, finally remembering what she had said to him about her pigtails.

               “That would be s-something, wouldn’t it?” she replied.  She hugged her books to her chest and began to walk again, and Adrien fell into step with her.  Their shoulders brushed briefly as they walked through the door, and Adrien swore he felt a shock before Marinette pulled away, her expression wide-eyed once more.

               “I guess you’re right,” Adrien said after another moment, determined to set Marinette at ease _and_ see if his – _crazy, impossible_ – suspicions were correct.  “Lots of girls probably wear pigtails.”

               But did all those girls have that dark shade of hair?  Black, with blue undertones?  Or those incredibly eyes, blue so perfect even the clearest sky couldn’t compete?

               And were all of these things he was suddenly noticing really proof, or was Adrien just grasping?  Because if his thoughts over the past three hours had told him _anything_ it was that he _wanted_ Marinette to be Ladybug.

               She was kind, and a natural leader, and in those rare moments when she had seemed to forget, for even a second, her awkwardness around him… he _liked_ her.

               He had gone over all his female classmates time and time again, and none of them _fit_ like Marinette did.

               “Are you doing anything after school?” Adrien had blurted the words out before he could think twice, and Marinette jolted to a halt again, her face rapidly turning red.  Adrien felt his own face flush in response, and he rubbed a hand over the back of his neck.  Now would be the time to backtrack.  To suggest that they should hang out with Alya and Nino… yet… “I mean – it’s just… I’m free.  And that doesn’t happen often so I was hoping that you might want to do something with… me?”

               He expected her to go red, to stutter out an answer – hopefully a yes – but instead she quirked her head to the side, her eyes narrowing slightly as a smile curved her lips.  Adrien had seen that smile before.

               It was Ladybug’s smile, just before she called him Kitty Cat.

               “I would like that,” Marinette said, and wasn’t it an odd sort of reversal, that she was the one that was confident, while Adrien thought his face might be hot enough to boil water.  “I would like that a lot.”

               “Great!” Adrien replied.  He watched Marinette walk away, and he grinned, when he noticed the tight grip she had on the strap of her bag, turning her knuckles pale.  Once she disappeared around the corner, Adrien leaned back against the wall.  The halls had emptied, and Plagg came out to float in front of him.

               “She’s Ladybug,” the Kwami noted.  “Or at least, you believe she is.”

               “You don’t know?”

               Plagg gave his head a sharp shake.

               “No. I’m as oblivious as my Chat’s until Tikki makes her presence known to me, and vice versa.  But Adrien, you can’t simply ask this girl if she’s Ladybug.  You may be wrong.”

               He _wasn’t_.  Adrien was positive of that.  Marinette was his Lady.

               But, just in case…

               “I know.  I have a plan.”

\---

               He sent Marinette a text to meet him at a hidden little alcove in the park.  It was a pretty little place, with a fountain and lush grass.  Adrien knew about it because it had been used for a couple of his photoshoots.  In between shots, he liked to sit on the fountain’s edge with bare feet and dig his toes into the grass.

               It was pretty, but off the beaten path.  Adrien wasn’t sure that there were many other people that even knew about it.  If they did, they ignored it in favor of the wider spaces and pathways of the wide open parts of the park.

               Marinette was sitting on the fountain’s edge when Adrien arrived, sketching furiously in a pink book, her brow furrowed and the tip of her tongue just sticking out between her lips.  It was kind of adorable, and Adrien found himself caught up in watching her, rather than announcing his arrival.

               After a moment or two of sketching, Marinette suddenly froze.  As though she could feel his presence, she turned her body slightly, so she could look back at him.  Their gazes met for  moment, and Marinette’s brow remained furrowed when she saw him, dressed in the black leather and mask of his alter ego.

               If Marinette _was_ Ladybug… well, then she knew who he was anyway.  If she wasn’t – then she would never have any need to think that Chat Noir was her classmate.

               “Chat,” she welcomed after a moment.

               “Princess,” Adrien said in reply, the pet name falling so easily from his lips.  They were the only ones that he had such names for – his Princess and his Lady – and maybe that should have been a sign to him right from the start.  “What’s a purretty girl like you doing all alone here?”

               When he swung down to settle next to her on the edge of the fountain, it was with fewer acrobatics than he would have usually used.  But his ribs weren’t entirely healed, and he knew that his Lady would never forgive him if he re-injured himself.

               “I’m meeting someone,” Marinette replied at last, carefully closing her notebook and setting it aside.  “A boy that I’ve had a crush on for a while.  He asked me out today.”

               _A boy that I’ve had a crush on for a while_.

               And maybe it was foolish, that Adrien hadn’t realized it.  It made so much _sense_ – the blushing, the stuttering… even her disinterest in Chat Noir, if she truly was Ladybug.

               “Maybe he doesn’t deserve you,” Adrien blurted out, and then mentally winced… because how dumb was he?  To not only feel _jealousy_ that Marinette had a crush on _Adrien_ rather than Chat, but to also be putting down _himself_.  Marinette raised a brow at him, and Adrien shrugged uncomfortably.  “A gentleman shouldn’t keep a _Lady_ waiting.  He should be the one waiting for you.”

               “Now what do you know about being a Gentleman, Chat Noir?” Marinette asked, and she pulled a knee up  so she could rest her chin on it and grin at him.

               “You wound me, Princess” – Adrien clutched dramatically at his chest, and Marinette laughed Ladybug’s laugh.  It made him grin, because _this_ … this was what he wanted with her.  The easy relationship.  Not the one where they stuttered and blushed and couldn’t speak to each other – “I am always purrrfectly mannered.”

               “Two purr puns in one conversation.  You’re slipping, Chat,” Marinette responded, the smile caused by her laughter still flirting with her lips, even as her expression became more contemplative.  “Princess… I thought you said I was a Lady.”

               And there it was – Adrien’s opening.  Marinette was looking at him with those blue, blue eyes, and once more, the question sat on the tip of his tongue.

               _Are you Ladybug?_

               Only this time, Adrien found that he didn’t need to hear her answer.  Because he was looking at her, and he _knew_ those eyes.  Somehow, the Glamour had kept him from realizing… but now that he did?

               He would know his Lady’s eyes anywhere.

               So instead of asking the question, Adrien released his transformation.  The familiar swell of magic leaving rushed over him, and he closed his eyes.  When he opened them again, he was Adrien Agreste, and Marinette had let her leg fall back so her foot was on the ground, and she was staring at him.

               And for a second, he thought he had gotten it wrong.  That Marinette _wasn’t_ Ladybug, and it had been his own secret desires that had made it seem so obvious.  He was just about to open his mouth, to explain to her that she couldn’t tell _anyone_ , and that he was sorry and would keep her safe, when she shook her head.

               “Wow,” she said, before he could speak up.  “I mean… I knew it.  But, it’s different to _know_ and to _see_.  And I just… wow.”

               “Oh, thank God,” Adrien sighed out, his shoulders slumping with relief.  “It _is_ you… _My Lady_.”

               “Did you _seriously_ reveal your identity to me when you weren’t sure I was Ladybug?” Marinette raised her brows, and Adrien shifted uncomfortably under the severe look.

               “Well… I was 99% sure you were Ladybug.  It was a calculated risk” – Adrien leaned forward, focusing his gaze on Marinette, and he saw her swallow, red rising into her cheeks, something that made Adrien’s lips curl in a smile – “ _A boy that I’ve had a crush on for a while_?”

               “Yeah, because it’s not like you _knew_ ” – Marinette rolled her eyes, and then gaped at Adrien when he just shrugged – “ _really_?  How did you not know?  I mean… it’s not like I was a stuttering mess around you when you were Chat Noir.”

               “I thought you didn’t like me.  Your first impression of me wasn’t exactly good,” Adrien admitted, looking away from her.  He was so focused on not looking at her, that when her hand landed on his arm, Adrien jolted in surprise and looked over at her.

               “I…” her tongue darted out to wet her lips.  “I-I never did apologize, did I?  For how I t-treated you that first day.  I want to.  You-you didn’t deserve to be treated that way.”

               “I understood it.  And now that I know you _do_ like me” – he couldn’t help but tease her a little bit.  Because when she was his classmate Marinette, he had simply wanted her to like him, would have never _dreamed_ of teasing her.  But she wasn’t just Marinette – not that there was anything _just_ about her – she was also his Lady.  The girl that he was completely lost over.  The girl he flirted with shamelessly.  And so, he had to tease her a bit – “well… it eases the sting a little bit.”

               “Careful, Kitty Cat.  Or I’ll have to re-evaluate my opinion of you.”

               “Oh?” Adrien leaned toward her, resting his hand on the fountain edge between them so he could get closer and grin at her.  “And what is your opinion of me?”

               He expected some smart remark, one of her Ladybug comebacks where she called him Kitty Cat and smirked at him.

               Instead, her expression softened, and she reached out her hand to rest it over his.  Adrien blinked in surprise and looked down at where their skin touched, then looked back at up Marinette. 

               “I think you’re kind,” she said.  “And loyal.  There’s no one else, not even Alya, that I’d trust to have my back like you.  You’re my best friend, Chat… _Adrien_.”

               Chat swallowed, and had to look away from her, feeling far too vulnerable with the expressions he knew had to be written all over his face.

               “You’re my best friend, too, My Lady.”

               As he spoke, he looked down at their hands.  He turned his over, so that he could twine their fingers together.  It felt nice, to hold her hand – warm and strong.

               “You weren’t disappointed,” Marinette noted, and her words made Adrien’s gaze jolt to her again.  She was looking out to where they could just see the larger park through the trees.  “I was afraid you might be.”

               “Disappointed… because it was you?” Adrien couldn’t imagine in what world anyone would be disappointed in Marinette.  “But… why?  You make people feel _good_ about themselves, Mari.  You make them _want_ to be good.  Now that I know… it makes so much sense.  Because no one else could be Ladybug.”

               Her cheeks flushed, and she peeked at him shyly from the corner of her eye.  Adrien turned fully toward her and reached out with his free hand, so he could turn her face towards him.

               “It’s true,” he said earnestly.  “That day, in the rain?  All I could think was how excited I was to finally have a friend, and how happy I was that it was _you_.”

               Marinette smiled at him, still shyly, but there was a hint of Ladybug in it too.  Later, Adrien would probably blame that on what he did next.

               In the moment, it just seemed right.

               He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers in a soft kiss.  It was a sweet kiss, just a press of his lips to hers.  Adrien’s eyes drifted shut, and he cupped her cheek with his hand.  When he pulled back and blinked open his eyes, it was to see that Marinette was doing the same.  Adrien swallowed, feeling a flush rise in his cheeks, and the same color rose in Marinette’s as well.

               “I… that…” Marinette bit her lip, her eyes darting from his for a moment, before they came back to his after she took a deep breath.  “You know, this is supposed to be a date.”

               “You’re right,” Adrien agreed, climbing to his feet.  He didn’t release his grip on her hand, and used it to tug her to her feet as well.  “Would My Lady like ice cream?”

               “I’d love some,” Marinette replied, and they headed back to the main park, fingers still twined and arms rubbing against each other.  When they would have stepped out of their little sanctuary, Marinette pulled him to stop.

               “Is something wrong?” Adrien asked.

               “No… I just wanted to tell you… that I’m glad it was you.  That you ended up being my Kitty Cat.” She went up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his cheek.  When she pulled back, there was a teasing glint in his eyes.  “Now come on… I know the best place to get ice cream!”

               Adrien let her tug him along behind her, a smile lighting his face.

               She was glad he was her Kitty Cat… and Adrien couldn’t be happier that she was his Lady.


End file.
